Book 2|39. Scars

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Chapter 80 – Scars – Cage's POV

I knew something was very wrong the instant I got Kieran's text: Council room now!

Fuck!

I jerked on a pair of jeans and boots, but didn't bother with a shirt. Traveling at a run, it took me less than a few minutes to arrive. When I burst through the door, I was completely confused at the scene in front of me.

Across the room, there was an enormous tiger lying down on the floor!

For a moment, I thought this was Kieran's idea of a joke. But then several things caught my attention. First, Alaric  turned around to face me.  There was absolutely no reason he should be here! The expression in his eyes was hard...And something else  I couldn't quite put my finger on.

I didn't linger on him. Instead, my glance cut to the woman standing next to him, Talia. She was one of my closest friends and confidants. I had known her for many, many years; enough time for me to immediately see the telltale signs that she had been crying – a lot.

And to top it all of, in my peripheral vision, General Raed's grim expression only solidified my wildly growing sense of panic.

But the thing that confused and alarmed me the most was I smelled her  scent – Raine! She was in the room, so why didn't I see her?!

And then my eyes zeroed in on her limp form.

In the middle of the chaos, my brain had not immediately picked up on her location, because it was the very last place I expected – she was lying on the back of the giant cat!

Without another thought, I blurred across the room.

When I reached her, I felt as if I had been punched hard in my gut. The position of the cat and her body had not immediately revealed the devastation, but I could plainly see it now as I crouched over her. Her back had been ravaged, slashed open, by a weapon I was more than familiar with. Someone had whipped  her – repeatedly!

And given the severity of the punishment, I knew the bastard vampire who beat her, had not held back. Unbridled rage, like I had never felt before, slammed through me. The stunning force of it left me breathless and vibrating with fury.

Someone was going to die tonight!!

Before this night was over, I was going to exact my revenge on the motherfucker who presumed he could hurt her and get away with it!

I whispered urgently, "Who did this to you, Tigru?!"

Her eyelids fluttered. With great difficulty, she rasped, "It doesn't matter."

I rocked back on my heels in confusion.

It doesn't matter??!!

What the fuck did she mean by that?!

It sure as hell, fucking mattered!

I studied her. The only reason she would refuse to tell me, would be to protect  someone else. And then the pieces clicked into place. Now I understood Alaric's strange expression – he felt guilt!

I exploded from my crouched position, twisting just slightly to alter my trajectory, so that my fist collided directly with his face. The impact was fierce.

He hadn't been prepared for my attack and flew back several feet, crashing into the couches. He recovered almost instantly, agilely jumping to his feet to face me. His lack of surprise, that I was stalking toward him with lethal intent, was all the confirmation I needed. I had been right!

As I prowled forward, my brain excitedly scrolled through the many options I could employ for his death. I wanted to pick something very special, something that fit the crime. Maybe I would pull him apart limb by limb. Or maybe it might be more fun to gouge out his eyes first. And then I would tear him apart limb by limb. My lips curled. Yes that was a much better plan.

He readied himself for my attack, lowering his stance.

I chuckled darkly, finding his positioning to defend himself humorous. He wasn't  going to win this fight. It was laughable for him to think he had a chance against me.

Not now.

Not when a red murderous haze covered my vision.

And I could see nothing else besides my hatred.

Before I could strike again, massive steel arms banded around me, as General Raed tried to contain me. Under any other circumstance, he would have been a formidable opponent.

But again, not now.

I jerked my body hard to the left to break his hold, and snapped my fist backward straight into his nose, knocking him back several feet. I heard the bones crunch as his nose shattered in several places.

I spun to face him. Blood poured from his nostrils while it healed back in place. His furious expression made it clear he was pissed with my maneuver. He studied me, searching for his best advantage.

Little did he know there was no advantage he could use against me now, no weakness in my body; no half-ass intent in my mind. I was fully engaged and absolutely certain of my victory. I grinned and motioned him forward with two fingers, letting him know that I was more than simply ready for his attack. No, I welcomed it...I thirsted for it!

His eyes widened.

I wasn't sure what my expression revealed, but rather than attack, he held up his hands and said soothingly, "Cage, just listen to me, man. There is more to the story than you know, and you need to hear all of it!"

I shook my head. I had no interest in talking.

Abruptly, Talia joined him, standing resolutely by his side, both of them now in the path between Alaric and me. I scowled at her, "Talia, get the fuck out of my way! I do not want to hurt you, but I will  before I allow you to stop me."

She looked at me in surprise, and then her lip quivered. I hated the hurt that crossed her features. My words had broken her trust, her confidence in me that I would never willingly hurt her, because she knew I absolutely meant them. But even her pain wasn't enough to make me back down.

It wasn't until a small, barely audible voice called my name, that my attention was diverted. I heard it clearly... There was pain in her voice...She needed me. Instantly, I was back at her side, hovering, unsure of the best way to help her. Right now, what she truly needed was Armand. I whipped my head around, searching for Kieran, and snarled, "Where the fuck is Armand?!"

"He was out. He is in route now, with an estimated arrival time of ten minutes," he answered quickly.

Raine's voice cracked as she tried to talk to me again. When she wasn't able to form the words the way she wanted to, tears of frustration and pain steadily rolled down her cheeks. I knew she couldn't lift her head to look at me, so I lay down on the floor next to her, so that she could see my face. She wasn't completely successful at focusing her eyes, but she could hold my gaze for an instant or two at time.

I whispered fervently, hoping she understood my words, "Hang in there, Tigru! Armand is going to be here shortly. And then the pain will be gone. Soon, baby...Very soon...The pain will be gone."

I breathed a huge sigh of relief when Armand showed up two minutes later. His confusion at the unusual scene was equally evident, but he asked no questions as he sliced open his wrist and brought it to her mouth. She struggled to latch on, still too weak. He gently guided her head with his other hand until she was secure and swallowing properly.

He forced her to drink from him for longer than I had expected; longer than was required for normal healing. But he must have determined, in looking at the damage on her back, that she needed more. When she was done, she lay quietly. I studied her back intently, watching for signs of improvement. The first sign I noticed was her breathing. It wasn't so shallow and sporadic anymore. Instead, she inhaled and exhaled steadily.

Shortly after, the seams of her remaining open wounds pulled together, knitting shut completely. And the fiery, raised welts began to recede in depth, smoothing back down into her skin. At the same time, they faded from blistering red to pale pink.

I continued to wait, hoping and praying the scars would fade away completely. There was always a risk with any wound, and particularly damage inflicted by a whip, that some residual scarring would remain. It all depended on the severity of the wound and the vampire's blood used for healing.

As the seconds ticked by with no further improvement, anxiety rose up in me. I had been sure Armand's blood would be strong enough, particularly when he gave her extra, but the mutilation she had endured must have been too much for even Armand's blood to overcome.

I ground my teeth together. She did not deserve to be marked like this for the rest of her life. No matter what, she would always be beautiful to me, but I suspected she was going to struggle with the knowledge of the scars.

She didn't move. Instead she said softly, "Cage..."

I leaned and asked worriedly in her ear, "What is it, Tigru? What's wrong?"

She whispered in embarrassment, "I need a top."

"Oh shit, of course! I would give you mine, but I didn't bother to put one on when Kieran called," I mumbled, looking around the room for a solution. It did not escape my attention when she glanced up to look at my chest through her eyelashes. She was definitely feeling better. She immediately dropped her gaze, blushing softly, when she realized I was smirking at her knowingly.

However, I was extremely grateful that her reaction had been limited to just a slight blush. I don't know what I would've done had the scent of her arousal filled the air. It was like an addiction to me, a freak aphrodisiac that I couldn't say no to.

Thankfully, Talia had come prepared. She joined me by Raine's head with a light T-shirt in hand. She murmured, "Here, let me help you."

Raine nodded, visibly grateful when Talia efficiently assisted her into the top. Once she was covered, she sat up hesitantly, making sure she had her balance and strength back, before making any bold moves.

Ever intuitive, General Raed addressed Talia, Kieran and Alaric, interjecting, "This might be a good time for the Princess to have a private conversation with the King and Micage."

"I am not leaving her!" Alaric disagreed vehemently, his posture shifting aggressively.

I stood to my feet and snarled, "I am not giving you a choice! If you don't want to die in the next minute and a half, I suggest you heed my warning!"

He didn't back down. Instead he snapped, "Like it or not, she belongs to me now! And I am not leaving her...Until she tells me  it is okay for me to do so!"

I sunk lower, getting ready to attack, when Armand interrupted me harshly, "You need to remember your place! Alaric is correct and we will honor that relationship!"

I practically vibrated with fury, but said nothing. Instead, I nodded toward her, silently letting him know, that I would not attack...At least not yet....

Alaric crouched in front of Raine. He gathered her small hands into his and whispered meaningfully, "How are you feeling??"

She smiled and assured him softly, "Much better...Thank you for bringing me here."

Anger rolled through me that she would thank him when he was clearly the reason she was here to begin with. I wanted to hurl something across the room. Preferably him.

His absolute relief at her words, was evident. His frame relaxed and he said quietly, "Will you be okay if I leave for a little while?"

"Yes, I will be fine," she replied softly, squeezing his hands to confirm her words.

My eyes narrowed.

There was something different between them.

A stronger connection.

And then I knew.

She had slept with him!

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